Way back when I was just a little boy, our family would take road trips out west to visit relatives. One trip, we arrived early into Gallup, New Mexico, where we'd be staying on the second leg of our journey. After going out for dinner, my Dad took us for a small spin around town. In the dark of...

It all started with an email. Being the crazed Pixar/animation fanatic that I am, I sent JHM's editor a note earlier last week, asking if I might do a review of Michael Wallis' new book, " The Art of Cars ." Mr. Hill quickly got back to me, explaining that Roger Colton had already called dibs on Pixar...

John Lasseter Director of "Cars" Q: I know you're a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki . Is the Fiat 500 named Luigi a reference to Miyazaki-san's film (" The Castle of Cagliostro ")? A: No, it's not a reference to it, though I love "Lupin the 3rd: Castle of Cagliostro." I love that film. But his movies mean...

In the previous installment, I detailed how Disney released Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" as part of the studio's already crowded Fall/Winter lineup. Which causes this highly acclaimed film to become buried under such Mouse House titles as "Tuck Everlasting" and "Sweet Home Alabama." With a 151 screen...

Thanks to the help of John Lasseter, Hayao Miyazaki/s film "Spirited Away" was finally going to get the US release that fans had been clamoring for. Many were ecstatic. Top notch talent working on the English dub, and with Disney's marketing might, Miyazaki was finally going to roll off the tongue of...

Japan loved it. France loved it. But Disney didn't want it. At least, that was seemingly the buzz heard around the Disney studios. The studio that had entered into a distribution deal with Studio Ghibli in 1996 to expand Miyazaki's films now felt that Miyazaki's works just weren't "American" enough for...

In our previous installment, Hayao Miyazaki and his staff had decided to take "Spirited Away" on the road, with amazing results. The film tied for Best Picture at the 52nd Berlin International Film Festival, and won top awards at the Japanese Academy Awards and the Hong Kong Film Awards. With a strong...

Greetings fellow JimHillMedia readers. I hope this little story will be enjoyable for you, as it is something that has been turning over and over in my head since the summer of 2002. With it, I hope you will learn a bit more about the film "Spirited Away." Hayao Miyazaki. This name is known by several...